Listen live

Audio 2:49
US considers Ukraine govt assistance and Russia sanctions

Ben KnightUpdated
Thu 13 Mar 2014, 10:50 AM AEDT

The US is gearing up to support the new Ukrainian government with Congress discussing an assistance package and sanctions against Russia. Ukraine's interim prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has just met with US president Barack Obama in Washington DC.

Transcript

CHRIS UHLMANN: The US is gearing up its support for the new Ukrainian government with Congress discussing an assistance package for it and sanctions against Russia.

Ukraine's interim prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is in Washington where he's just finished a meeting with the US president Barack Obama.

North America correspondent Ben Knight reports from Washington DC.

BEN KNIGHT: Arseniy Yatsenyuk is only Ukraine's interim prime minister and has only held the job for two weeks, but on Wednesday he was given the head of state treatment in the American capital.

JOHN KERRY: Good to see you again.

BEN KNIGHT: First, a meeting and a photo opportunity with the secretary of state, John Kerry.

JOHN KERRY: I'm delighted to welcome the prime minister here. We're going to be going over to the White House. We have a lot to talk about over there.

BEN KNIGHT: Then, in front of the cameras again in the Oval Office with president Barack Obama.

ARSENIY YATSENYUK: We want to be very clear that Ukraine is and will be a part of the Western world.

BEN KNIGHT: The Ukrainian prime minister says his government is open to talks with Russia, but not at the end of a gun.

ARSENIY YATSENYUK: Mr President, it's all about the freedom. We fight for our freedom, we fight for our independence, we fight for our sovereignty and we will never surrender.

BEN KNIGHT: So far, of course, there hasn't been any actual fighting. Barack Obama praised Arseniy Yatsenyuk for the restraint that's been shown by the Ukrainian forces, despite the growing numbers of Russian troops on their soil, and Barack Obama promised to stand with him through the crisis.

At times, it sounded like we were back in the days of the Cold War but Barack Obama toned that down.

BARACK OBAMA: This idea that somehow the Ukrainian people are forced to choose between good relations with the West or good relations with Russia is the kind of zero sum formulation that in the 21st century doesn't make any sense.

BEN KNIGHT: This visit has sent a clear message to Russia. It's not just the White House that's doing it. Eight US senators, from both political parties are headed to the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Thursday.

It seems as though the White House and the Kremlin are growing further apart by the day but the US and Russia are at least still talking. John Kerry will head to London later this week and meet with the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

But it's hard to see what, if anything, will change between now and Sunday, when the referendum in Crimea will go ahead and will vote to either join the Russian Federation straight away or independence from Ukraine.

Neither result will be accepted by the United States, Europe, or of course the government in Kiev and no-one knows what will happen the morning after.